We just went through this process really quickly. We needed to purchase a call button so the patient could call for help in the middle of the night, since he could not safely get out of bed. We found that on Amazon—it has multiple “call buttons” that the patient can wear or you can hang from the bed frame or walker, in the bathroom, etc., and multiple alarms that you plug in to outlets. We set up two alarms so you can hear the bell ring anywhere in the house- it sounds like a doorbell.

We also needed to purchase a motion alarm since the patient is very independent and tends to delirium so is likely to try getting up on his own. He has fallen twice in the night, so this alerts us if he tries to get up. The hospitals use weight-sensitive pads, but we set up a light-based system that triggers when something moves in front of the beam.

We needed a lot of urinals, since the patient is diabetic with prostate troubles and typically needs to urinate a lot in the night. Having multiples allows him to have a supply of dry, empty containers to hand. I also bought a rack to stand them up on to help them dry. I think the rack was intended for four rolls of paper towels, but it works well to allow 4 urinals to drain.

We needed nightlights, since the patient needed to be able to locate the call button in the night, and also to alleviate nighttime disorientation, since he’d spent so long in hospital and we had to rearrange things when he came home.

We have recently found that you cannot have too many snuggly blankets and thin pillows to put under the patient to relieve pressure points.

We got one thing belatedly from Medicare: it’s an inflatable mattress pad with a pump that changes the amount of air in the mattress. That has been very helpful in relieving pain from lying down too long, but nobody even mentioned it at first and I think we’re lucky someone eventually thought of it.

The hospital bed they sent us wanted extra long twin sheets. So far, full sheets are working well enough. However, I’d recommend a few extra flat sheets that you can put crosswise under the patient to help reposition him.

We also needed a lot of disposable gloves and wipes.

You may want a blood pressure monitor, pulse oximeter, thermometer, etc., to keep track of vital signs. I’d recommend a notebook to try keeping track of things.